MRI-US Fusion Target Management of Prostate Cancer in the Office Setting

Posted by Fernando J. Bianco, MD | Jul 2021

Fernando J. Bianco, MD, presented “MRI-US Fusion Target Management of Prostate Cancer in the Office Setting” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in July 2021.

How to cite: Bianco, Fernando J. “MRI-US Fusion Target Management of Prostate Cancer in the Office Setting” July 2021. Accessed Apr 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/mri-us-fusion-target-management-of-prostate-cancer-in-the-office-setting/

MRI-US Fusion Target Management of Prostate Cancer in the Office Setting – Summary:

Fernando J. Bianco, MD, Investigator-in-Chief for the Urological Research Network in Miami, Florida, discusses treatment of prostate cancer using MRI-ultrasound fusion biopsy in an office setting. Dr. Bianco remarks how the results of the PIVOT and ProtecT trials have shifted the emphasis away from radical prostatectomy to focal therapy. The next consideration has been whether the procedure could be done in an office setting if sedation or anesthesia were not needed. The development of a transperineal block allowed physicians to perform biopsy and treatment in-office under local anesthesia. Dr. Bianco then describes his technology, Focalyx® Fusion, which uses MRI-ultrasound fusion to diagnose, biopsy, and then treat using cryoablation. The combination of MRI and ultrasound fusion during treatment provide the physician with a clearer picture of the treatment in real-time. The technology utilizes programmed workflows to prioritize patients and also shares procedure results back to the patients via an app. He notes that patients show a drop in PSA, improved urinary function, and no major deterioration in rectal performance following the procedure. Dr. Bianco also discusses current research to determine whether prophylactic antibiotics before a transperineal prostate biopsy are necessary.

Disclosure: Dr. Bianco is the Founder of Focalyx.

About The Author

Fernando J. Bianco, MD

Fernando J. Bianco, MD, is the Investigator-in-Chief for the Urological Research Network in Miami. Upon completion of his medical studies at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, he moved to Washington, DC, to serve as Chief of Urologic Oncology in the George Washington University Department of Urology. Dr. Bianco relocated to South Florida in 2008, serving as Associate Professor of Urology at Columbia University in New York City and as Founder and Director of the Columbia University Division of Urology, as well as Director of Robotic Surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach. In 2011, he co-founded the Robotic Surgery Program at Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables, Florida. He also served as Professor of Urology for Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Bianco is an innovative urological oncologist and robotic surgeon who has conducted more than 12 randomized clinical trials, and who is committed to the best care options for his patients. Dr. Bianco serves as principal investigator for the Fuse Image MRI-Guided Prostate Cryotherapy Clinical Trial. He has been a pioneer in urologic robotic procedures for cancer patients and in complex robotic reconstructive procedures, and in 2015 was the lead author of the first Level 1 evidence study that evaluated urinary continence outcomes after robotic prostatectomy. In addition, Dr. Bianco has served as a lead scientist involved in the PRO-IMPACT trial evaluating the molecular profiles of prostate cancers. This represents an important effort supported by the Society of Urological Oncology Clinical Trials Consortium. Dr. Bianco’s work has been recognized by the American Urological Association, the Society of Urologic Oncology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has served on the review panel and editorial board of numerous publications, including the Journal of Urology, Urologic Oncology, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Urology, Cancer, Lancet Oncology, and European Urology.

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